The Caribbean island nation of Barbados has severed centuries-old ties to the British monarchy, ditching Queen Elizabeth II as head of state and declaring itself the world’s newest republic.
The Royal Standard flag that represents the queen will be lowered in the capital Bridgetown and — at midnight (0400 GMT) — the current governor-general, Dame Sandra Mason, will be inaugurated as the first president.
Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, will attend the “Pride of Nationhood” ceremony, which is set to include military parades, a mounted guard of honour, gun salutes, dances and fireworks.
The new era for Barbados has fueled debate among the population of 285,000 over colonialism and Britain’s centuries of influence, including more than 200 years of slavery until 1834.
Some Barbadians argue there are more pressing national issues than replacing the queen, including economic turmoil caused by the Covid-19 pandemic that has exposed overreliance on tourism — which, ironically, is dependent on British visitors.
Unemployment is at nearly 16 per cent, up from nine per cent in recent years, and the country has just eased a longstanding Covid-19 curfew, pushing it back from 9:00 pm to midnight.
For the occasion, however, it has been suspended temporarily to allow Barbadians to enjoy the festivities, which are to include projections at various points across the country and large fireworks displays when the transition becomes official.
Buoyed by Black Lives Matter movements across the world, local activists last year successfully advocated for the removal of a statue of the British Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson that stood in National Heroes Square for two centuries.
And the end of the queen’s reign is seen by some as a necessary step towards financial reparations to address the historic consequences of the use of slaves brought from Africa to work on sugar plantations.
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